On Tuesday, during a conference held by the Jang Forum concerning the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, of Pakistan’s Former Chief Economist, Dr Pervez Tahir, stated that although the Iran-Pakistan pipeline is more economically viable, Pakistan risks its political ties with the U.S. Tahir also stated that the project cannot be completed without the support of the Baloch Nationalist Leadership. [5]

Domestic Politics

On Monday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik accused the Punjab government of making deals with major terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), when he spoke to reporters in Karachi. Malik cited the relative peace in Punjab and the fact that LeJ has its headquarters in Punjab, as evidence. He said the Punjab government must have struck a deal with the militants, because despite the fact that Punjab is Pakistan’s most populous region, and home to many Shias, there were still no attacks there. [6]

An article published on SITE translates a message from Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab leader, Asmatullah Moavia, released On February 24th praising Ajmal Kasab and Mohammed Afzal Guru, two Pakistani militants who participated in attacks on India. Moavia warned India of revenge attacks and stated that the decision of the Indian government to execute Mohammed Afzal Guru would make it a “new target of [the] mujahideen after the US leaves the region in a humiliating manner." [8]

On Friday, SITE translated the fourth episode of the TTP’s "Strike of a Believer” video series, released on the Jamia Hafsa Urdu Forum (JHUF) on 13 February, 2013. The video shows footage of attacks in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan, as well as speeches from prominent TTP leaders, including Wali-ur-Rahman and the TTP’s late founder Baitullah Mehsud. The speeches encouraged Pakistanis to join their cause, employ and encourage fighters to continue their jihad, and push for continued war against the West, specifically saying that the TTP means to strike within Britain and the U.S. [9]

According to a statement from the Inspector General of the Sindh Police, Fayyaz Leghari, police arrested sixty people in Karachi Monday night, including LeJ and TTP activists, suspected of connections with Sunday’s bombing. Leghari went on to say that many of the accused, reportedly explosives experts, admitted to their involvement in 25 unrelated target killings. However, a report in Pakistan Today said Rangers arrested more than 200 people during raids on Monday and Tuesday in Gulshan-e-Memar, Baldia Town, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and Sikandar Goth. The report said Rangers seized illegal arms and explosives in door to door operations around Karachi. [11]

Seven people died in targeted killings across Karachi on Monday. A man was shot and killed in Machhar Colony by unknown attackers as he returned home from work. In Old Hajji Camp, police found two bodies bearing signs of torture. Another tortured man was found dead in Kagzi Bazaar, Kharadar. Police recovered two more men in Jalbani Goth, Malir Town after they were killed by unidentified assailants. Unidentified attackers in Naqi Manzil in Delhi Colony burned a man to death in his house Monday night. Also Monday night, a girl was strangled to death in her home in Muhammadi Colony. Police do not know who her killers were. [14]

On Tuesday, five Pakistani seamen safely returned to Pakistan, after they had been held in India for the last five months. Indian authorities declared the sailors’ Singaporean vessel a defaulter, and forced the ship, with its Pakistani and Singaporean crew, to anchor without pay or visitation, until their release this week. [22]